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The High Court has ruled that only those who have completed at least a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, or MBBS, degree or a Bachelor of Dental Surgery, or BDS, degree will be allowed to use the title “Dr” in front of their names.
The bench of Justice Razik-Al-Jalil and Justice Shathika Hossain delivered the verdict on Wednesday after final hearings on two different petitions on the matter.
The ruling said that no action will be taken against those who have used the Dr title without achieving an MBBS or BDS so far, but that the court will order legal action to be taken against them if they continue to use it after Thursday, reports bdnews24.com.
The High Court declared the ruling amid a work stoppage programme by doctors and medical students to push for a five-point list of demands.
Medical Assistant Training School, or MATS, students have been protesting for some time on several demands, one of which is the eligibility to use the title “Dr” before their names. Doctors with MBBS and BDS degrees are unwilling to accept that.
In 2013, a group of sub-assistant community medical officers, or SACMOs, with Diploma in Medical Faculty degrees filed a writ petition in the court challenging the law and allowing them to use the title "Dr" before their names.
The first hearing on the writ was held on Apr 30 that year, but saw no progress since then until February this year.
On Feb 25, the court heard two writs and set Wednesday for the verdict.
Doctors and medical students announced a protest programme to close indoor and outdoor departments in all hospitals across the country. However, ICU, CCU and emergency treatment service will be available during the protest, they said.